European Union (Information, etc.) Bill [HL]

Again, I think that the noble Lord misunderstands how those mechanisms work. The way in which the Ministers in each Government safeguard the national interest is powerful, primordial inmany ways, and overriding often, as Ministers know, which is right. It reassures those in each country who want to see a proper enactment of less legislation, because Commission proposals are often couched in communications rather than legislative proposals. Where they are directed to be enacted by the member states, those directives are very broad and usually come from the Council of Ministers originally having said to the Commission, ““By the way, would you look into this area and present some proposals for us to act on?””. I hope therefore that the noble Lord, Lord Pearson, will kindly reconsider his suggestions on this occasion.